Just Walk Away
by Jeanne M
Summary: Jono and Jubilee talk.  Consider it a prequel to "Goodbye, So Long"


Usual: Characters? NOT MINE. Money? NOT BEING MADE. Song belongs to Third Eye Blind. People belong to Marvel. It's another songfic. Deal with it. Written after I did Goodbye, So Long. Consider it a prequel. Besides, I like Jubilee and Jono together. I wasn't a big fan of Jubes/Ev and Jono/Paige. Jono's accent is hard to write! Warning- bad language, substance abuse, and suicide themes. You have been notified. Onwards!  
  


**Telepathy**

_Song lyrics_  
  


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  


Just Walk Away

Jeanne M.  
  
  
  
  
  


_I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,  
You could cut ties with all the lies that you've been living in,  
And if you do not want to see me again,  
I would understand_  
  


Jubilation Lee sped across campus on her rollerblades, feeling the wind tearing against her slight form. She grinned, turning up her headset. Forget using mutant powers to fly, rollerblades were the only way to go! Jubilee leaned in, aerodynamically streamlining herself and picking up momentum. Faster. Faster. Jubilee was in her own world, consisting of nothing but the blaring music, wind, and speed.

**No fair going off into yer own little world, gel**  
  


_The angry boy, a bit too insane  
Icing over a secret pain,  
You know you don't belong,  
You're the first to fight, You're way too loud,  
You're the flash of light on a burial shroud,  
I know something's wrong,  
Well everyone has got a reason to say  
Put the past away_  
  


Startled, she spun around releasing a powerful flash of light. Her mental assailant threw up his arm to shield his eyes, as Jubilee converted her foward momentum into a flip and landed behind him, placing a well-concealed knife to his throat before realizing who it was. Releasing her death hold, Jubilee remembered to count to ten in Mandarin before turning to yell at the person who had so cruelly stolen her brief peace.

"What the hell are you trying to do Starsmore? Get yourself killed?!? I coulda hurt you!"

**It ain't fair. Yer off in that own little world a yours again. And no one can follow. What's in yer head that's so bloody wonderful that you leave the rest of us here?** Jono looked at the girl before him. Angry. Definitely angry. Good.

"So? Monet has her own little escape route, you sit in the basement and mope, Angelo stands at the gate and smokes all day while staring down the road, and I am sick of being in the same room as your ex-girlfriend! Can you blame me for wanting to leave this all behind? Can you?!? The music, that's all there's ever been. The music and the freedom of my blades is the only place I've ever had that no one could touch. Thanks for nothing." She moved to put the headset back on, and hit the back and repeat button. Somehow, this song just seemed appropriate right now. 

  
  


___I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,  
You could cut ties with all the lies that you've been living in,  
And if you do not want to see me again,  
I would understand  
_  


**Don't leave.** Jono took a deep mental breath. If he did this, there would be no going back for either of them. **Sparkler, I want you to put those Valium back in the Medlab, and the Vodka back in Sean's office.** And suddenly, the knife was back at his throat.

"Have you been spying on me Jono?" A soft hiss, sweet and melodious, more dangerous than anything he's ever heard out of his young friend. He can almost feel her narrowed eyes studying him for the slightest sign of weakness. This is the girl he set out to find this morning, and now Jonothon Evan Starsmore wasn't so sure of his plan anymore.

**Nope. I saw you swipe those Valium when you were getting yer checkup. When I heard Sean complaining to Emma about two of his bottles going missing, and Paige telling Monet how you had yer minifridge stocked with orange juice, I knew it was you. Yer a Malibu and Coke girl at heart, but you love those screwdrivers.**

"Bravo. So I like a drink every so often. Big deal. Don't you dare tell me you never had a sip before you turned twenty-one." Jubilee stepped back, returning the switchblade to wherever she had it concealed. She studied him from suspicion-bright eyes. "What do you want?" 

**Yer lying. Spark, what is it?** Jono stood where he was, certain that if he moved, she would run. Or kill him. And right now that wasn't a very far fetched idea at all. **Please, Sparkler.**

  
  


_Well he's on the table, and he's gone to code,  
And I do not think anyone knows,  
What they are doing here,  
And your friends have left, You've been dismissed,  
I never thought it would come to this, And I want you to know,  
Everyone has got to face down the demons,  
Maybe today, We can put the past away,_  
  


Jubilee darted foward, grabbing his arm and yanking the sleeve of his coat up. Her face twisted into a cruel smile as she traced the faded thin lines on his wrist with a mocking sensuality. "And you dare to lecture me? Bugger off, Jono. Go play concerned big brother to someone else." Disgusted, she dropped his arm, and started skating backwards. "Leave me alone. Or you'll wish I had let Emplate eat you that day at the airport."

**I ain't lecturing you. I just wanna talk. Actually, I wanted to know how you do it.** Keep her intrigued Starsmore, or yer gonna pay for it.

"Do what?" Jubilee paused, mid-skate. 

** Keep them thinking yer some bubble brain, when yer the most dangerous person here. They know I'm depressive, but you..... you keep them thinking everything's ok. Does Em know you have that trinket there? I bet it never even crossed her mind that you have a knife like that. And if yer so hellbent on killing yourself, why don't you just use that pretty to do the deed? **

"What makes you think I want to kill myself?" Sweetness, innocence radiates from her. Jono shook his head. She was trying to manipulate her own emotions so that he would only pick up what the others saw. It wasn't going to work.

** Because I been there. I know that look that's lurking behind those blue eyes of yours. It's the same one I see in the mirror every single day. **

"Yeah? Well fuck you Jono. You lost your face and your voice, and I'm sorry about that, But people die because of me! I lost my parents, my home, all my friends. I've been kidnaped, tortured, and manipulated. I sat next to a little girl and watched her die. I saw another girl sacrifice herself to save us from one genetic supremist, only to have the next hatemonger come along. I watched the one person who gave a damn about me get the shit kicked out of him by Magneto, and then he abandoned me. Again. And again, and again. Everywhere I look all I can see is blood and pain and more death, and I am sick of it! Don't you get it? Every time, I am there; a witness to the hate and violence. Like some damn avatar of disaster and grief. So since everyone is always complaining that they want me to go away or die, I thought maybe I'd oblige them and make everything easier. There. I said it. I have confessed, are you happy now?!?" She buried her face in her hands, not looking him in the eyes. "Are you happy? Now just go away. Please."

_I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,  
You could cut ties with all the lies that you've been living in,  
And if you do not want to see me again,_  
  


** Spark, don't leave me. I don't think I can do this without you. **  


_I would understand,  
I would understand . . ._  
  


Jubilee sneaked a peek at him from behind her fingers. This had to be some big joke. Why the hell would Jono say something like that? "What?" Her voice came out muted and raspy, as if she didn't trust her ability to speak.

** I said don't leave me. Where would I be without my Sparkler to lead us into battle? Who would I play my guitar to that will honestly listen? ** Jono gently pulled Jubilee's hands away from her face. ** Who else can I watch anime with? **

"Quit patronizing me!" Abruptly, all her old fire was back, and Jono found himself on the receiving end of Jubilation's temper. "I refuse to let people patronize me anymore! I will not be some helpless little bit-of-fluff damsel that always needs saving! I'm well on the road to damnation, thank you. I don't need a tour guide."

** I'm not a tour guide. Just a fellow weary traveler. Besides, I meant what I said, I can't do this without you. The others don't get it. They don't understand loss, do they? Angelo does, but not like we do. We know betrayal and self-loathing like old mates. Don't go Spark, please. Don't leave me here alone.** Jono pulled her into his arms, holding onto her like a drowning man. **Somedays, it's worse than others. Your sparkle, the way you hold yourself together when I can feel the numbness radiating from you, it's the only thing that keeps it all away.**

"Whoa. Hang on here, shouldn't you be saying this to Paige?" Jubilee jerked out of his grasp, sarcastic composure written on her face. "Sorry dude, yer talking to the wrong roommate. Yer 'sunshine' I ain't." 

**Don't you think I know that?!? Yer not some shallow, whimsical bit of fluff! Yer not some gel who goes around pretending to be what she ain't. Ya don't want to be a hero, or be famous. You don't care about money or looks. Yer proud, but pride isn't yer downfall. Yer real, Sparkler. Yer funny, caring, and stronger than anyone I've ever met.** Jono's words hung in the air with a vehamence that was undeniable.

Jubilee shook head, wanting to deny what she was hearing. "No. No no no! You've got the wrong girl, Jono. I'm sorry." She kept backing up, gliding away. "You've got the wrong person."

**Then tell me I'm lying.** The words were soft and sad in her mind. **Tell me that yer not Jubilation Lee. Tell me that yer not a survivor who's been to hell and back. Tell me that you aren't the girl who organized the pranks on the townies at Halloween. That you aren't the leader of the mutant rebels known as Generation X. Tell me yer not a girl who loves Sugar Bombs and Vanilla Ice Cream for breakfast, tells bedtime stories to Artie and Leech, and makes the best chocolate chip pancakes ever.**

"How would you know what my pancakes taste like?" Sullen, bitter, but she's not trying to take off again. Keep talking Starsmore.

**Angelo let me in his mind once when you cooked breakfast. I wanted to know what these pancakes everyone was raving about were, so he shared the memory with me. He's a good mate. And they were good pancakes too.**

  
  


_Can you put the past away,  
I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,_  
  


"Oh." She looked down at her blades, playing with the sleeve of her coat. "Thanks." She skated foward, pressing something into his hands. "No promises. Got it?"

Jono unfurled his hands to discover two bottles of pills. **Deal.** Then he noticed her looking at him oddly. **What?**

"Aren't you going to ask for the switchblade?" Probing, testing. Seeing how far he was going to push her. Smart gel.

**Nope. It's yer knife. Good for protection if you don't want to use powers or yer ninja skills** Jono chuckled at the surprise on her face. **Yup. I seen you practicing. 'Sides, if you were gonna use it, you would have.** 

At that, Jubilee grinned. "Yeah, guess you're right." Pause. "Do you wanna come watch anime in my room tonight? We gotta get you outta that basement. I just bought some new Slayers." A small catch in her voice, one even she probably wasn't aware of. But Jono heard it, and he was answering before he knew it.

**Sounds cool. Yeah, I'll be there gel** 

  
  


_I would understand.....  
I would understand....._  
  


"Awesome." She started to go, and stopped. "We make an odd pair, don't we?"

**That we do.** And through her mind, Jono could hear her CD player skip back to the beginning of the song that had been playing since he ambushed her. Only now, it meant so much more, and they both knew it. As Jubilee headed back to the house, she opened her mind to him and let him listen in.  
  


_I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,  
You could cut ties with all the lies that you've been living in,  
And if you do not want to see me again,  
I would understand_

_The angry boy, a bit too insane  
Icing over a secret pain,  
You know you don't belong,  
You're the first to fight, You're way too loud,  
You're the flash of light on a burial shroud,  
I know something's wrong,  
Well everyone has got a reason to say  
Put the past away  
  
_

_I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend,  
You could cut ties with all the lies that you've been living in,  
And if you do not want to see me again,  
I would understand........._


End file.
